He ultimately comes to terms with who he is and wants to experience new things in the next life he lives. The film is at its best when we see characters like Yuichi and Suito interact and muse about their existence and place in the world. Subtle animation movements and silence are instead used to evoke the feelings of each of the characters.

Scenes in the film can go without dialogue for a while. The cycle of fighting never stops for the Kildren and it disheartens those that know such a fate is sealed. One of my favorite moments during this sequence is when all the characters wait for Yuichi’s return, only to realize his unfortunate end by silently leaving one by one. The last act of the film seemingly ends on a whimper and has a post credits scene worth waiting for. Though some later revelations made known are somewhat confusing, things start clicking together as the film progresses and we get more details on the depth of Yuichi and Suito’s history. The story is a slow brewing character driven drama that takes a while to understand after watching it. The film requires a good amount of patience because it’s right around two hours long and there are many small details to unpack. Although there are a good amount of airplane dogfight scenes, they don’t make up the crux of the overall story. Yuichi and Suito are Kildren themselves, with the latter struggling to accept how she and Yuichi must repeat an endless cycle of war and the fact that they can’t age or die.Īs fascinating as it is to interpret the film’s philosophy, I wouldn’t recommend watching it if you’re looking for any fast-paced, action scenes. The additions of the Kildren – immortal beings trained to be fighter pilots – points to those themes. Based on the eponymous novel by Hiroshi Mori (known also for The Perfect Insider ), The Sky Crawlers, like Oshii’s other works, examines the human condition and explores the world of adolescence and war. Released in 2008, this film was selected for the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals to moderately good reception.

With recent news that Mamoru Oshii is coming back to work on an anime, it’s the best time to talk about his last animated feature effort The Sky Crawlers.

She doesn’t answer him, leaving Yuichi to find out who he is and how to reconcile with his unknown past. Eventually, he begins asking his supervising commander, Suito Kusanagi, what happened with his predecessor and why he has strange, lingering memories. In an era where large corporations hire fighter pilots to battle against one another to maintain peace, Yuichi settles himself in with his new peers and home. The story of The Sky Crawlers: Yuichi Kannami is a new pilot transfer for the Rostock Corporation, who are at odds with an enemy called Lautern.

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